Door operating mechanism



A. VENDITTY Jan. 3, 1939.

DOOR OPERAT T NG MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 8, 1937 til -Ill l llu llllll s i Ill. l l l I l l tlllllLlllll Jan. 3, 1939. A. VENDITTY DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 8, 1937 I'llI'Illlll Jan. 3, 1939. A. VENDITTY DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Shet 3 Filed March 8, 1937 FE UP A/vrHoA/v YEA/01 rrY.

Patented Jan. 3, 1939 UNITED STATES 2,142,161 DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM Anthony Venditty, Detroit, Mich., assignor to Crawford Door Company, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application March 8, 1937, Serial No. 129,592

17 Claims.

This invention relates to operating mechanism for sliding doors in general and for overhead garage doors in particular.

More specifically this invention relates to a 5 spring actuated device mounted transversely across a door for forming a vertically moving pivot for the door and for winding up straps secured respectively at the bottom of the door and at the top of the doorway to aid or cause the raising of the door.

Heretofore vertical sliding doors have required expensive mounting hardware, such as vertical tracks and rollers, cumbersome weights or springs I for balancing the weight of the door, and the like.

1. Besides the cost of this hardware, its installation Another object of this invention is to provide a vertically movable pivot for overhead garage doors.

A specific object of this invention is to provide a vertically movable spring actuated pivot for overhead garage doors that balances the weight of the door -thereby facilitating a raising of the door.

A further object of this invention is to provide mounting hardware for overhead garage doors that is readily installed without special tools and is simple in operation. 40 A further specific object of this invention is to provide door operating mechanism for overhead garage doors including a spring actuated tube mounted transversely across the 'mid-pointof the door for travel with the door at approximatelyone half the speed of travel of the door and providing during such travel a movable pivot point for the door.

Another object of this invention is to provide door operating mechanism for overhead garage doors and the like wherein a vertically movable pivot balances the weight of the door and progressively-tilt':v the door from a vertical position to a. substantially horizontal position.

Other and further objects of'the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the annexed sheets of drawings which disclose a preferred embodiment of the invention.

On the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmental and broken interior elevational vview, with parts shown in cross section, of a door and adjacent parts of a. building equipped with a door operating mechanism according to this invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical cross sectional view taken substantially along-the line II--II of Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary end elevational view of the door and operating mechanism therefor illustrating in dotted lines the movement of the door to its open position.

Figure 4 is an enlarged horizontal cross sectional view taken substantially along the line 1V IV of Fig. 2.

While the invention has been illustrated in connection with aone-piece overhead slidable or movable garage door, it should be understood that the operating mechanism of this invention is not limited to such use since the same may be utilized for various other forms of unhinged doors that are opened by a sliding movement.

As shown on the drawings: I

In Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, the reference numeral I designates a garage door.

As shown :in Fig.1 the door I has side edges 2 fitting freely between door jambs 3 of the garage or building in which the door may be mounted. Upon the upper inner sides of the door, plates 4 are provided for overlapping the inner sides of the jambs 3 to seal the space between the sides of the door 2 and the iambs 3, thereby acting as a Weatherstrip. Upon the lower portions of the lambs 3 are provided plates 5 designed to form f stops for the lower portion of the door as it comes into vertical position as shown in Fig. 3 and also to form a Weatherstripping or seal for the sides and Ill, best shown in Fig. 4, are secured on opposite sides of the'boss 1 for a purpose that will be hereinafter described.

As shown in Figs. 1-, 2 and 4, an angle bracket nal bearing members Ila are secured tothe horizontal flange of the angle member I I at the ends thereof. Shafts I2 are rotatably mounted in the journal bearings I la. and extend beyond the sides of the door I where they are provided with rollers I3. The rollers I3 are adapted to travel on the track brackets 8 and on overhead tracks I4 which areasecured at their forward ends to said bracket 1 A hollow cylinder or tube I5 is mounted transversely across the inner side of the .door I. with its ends extending into the space between the keepers 6 and the door jambs 3.

As best shown in Fig. l, a cap I6 provided with a key I! closes one end of the cylinder I5 with the key I"! thereof fitted into a keyway I8 formed in the tube I 5 to hold the cap I6 against rotation. of the keeper 6.

with an inwardly extending stud 24 which forms a a support for the other end of the coil spring 20. Thisend of the coiled spring is anchored around a lug 25 on the stud 24.

An arm 26 is rigidly secured to the outer'portion of the cone 23 and this arm carries a grooved roller 21 that travels on the edge of an inwardly extending flange Iib of the adjacent keeper 6 and thus firmly anchors one end of the spring 20.

From the above it should be understood that one end of the spring is anchored to the tube I5 by means of the cap I Ii while the other end of the spring is anchored to a stud 24 held against rotation by the roller 21 carried from the stud and engaging a fixed vertical flange 6b.

Near the medial portion of the tube I5 are provided a pair of flexible metal straps 23, preferably of bronze, that are fastened at their ends to the outside of the tube and are adapted to be wrapped around the tube. The other ends of the straps are attached to adjustable yokes 29 which are adjustably secured to an angle member 30 attached to the inner side of the door I beguiding the straps".

The pins are held between the base 34 of the adjacent track bracket 8 and the flange 6c of the keeper 5. It should be noted in Fig. 2'that the base 34 of the bracket 8 is suitably curved-to form a rest for the pins. The pins 33a are confined from movement out of the loop 33 by the plates 9 and I0 described hereinabove. It should be understood, however, that the upper ends of the straps 32 may be anchored at the top of the doorway in any other suitable manner.

In order to properly align the door with the door opening when the door is being closed from an overhead horizontal position to a vertical closed position, guides 35 are attached-to the door jamb 3. Each guide 35 has an oblique flange 35a that slopes toward the door opening.

The spring 20 in the tube I 5 can be wound to a proper tension by disengaging the arm 26 from the cone 23 and rotating the cone with a suitable tool to wind the spring. The arm 26 can then be slipped back onto the cone head, while holding the cone with the winding tool, and locked thereon. When the arm 25 is released, it will move the roller 21 tightly against the flange or track 6b The energy stored up in the spring is utilized to rotate the tube I5 for winding the straps 28 and 32 therearound when the door is raised. As

the door is lowered, the straps are unwound from the tube thereby again winding up'the spring 20.

The spring 20 and tube I5 thereby constitute a spring motor which spends its energy for raising the door by wrapping the straps therearound and which is reenergized by a lowering of the door to unwind the straps therefrom. A proper adjustment of the spring tension can be made to balance the weight of the door so that very little energy is necessary to raise the same into its open position. At the same time the door will be held against rapid dropping into closed position because the unwinding of the straps must eflect a I vertical closed position to its substantially horizontal overhead open position.

As shown in Fig. 3 when the lower end of the door is pushed outwardly as shown in dotted lines, the spring 20 will unwind and rotate the cylinder I5 for winding the straps 23 and 32 therearound thereby pulling the door upwardly to itsoverhead position as shown in dotted lines. During this movement of the door, the bottom of the door is raised toward the tube I5 and the tube I5 in turn by'belng wound up on the strap 32 travels toward thetop of the door opening. Since the straps 23 and 32 all wind on the tube I5 together, the tube travels toward the top of the door opening at approximately one-half the speed of the door travel. I As the door I is moved downwardly, the speed of movement of the tube I5 is approximately onehalf the speed of travel of the door since the distance traveled to the stop Ga of the keeper 6 is approximately one-half the vertical distance through which the lower edge of the door must travel. During such movement the spring20 is rewound and proportionate amounts of the straps 28 and 32, respectively, are unwound from the .tube l5.

While it is contemplated that the weight of the door in its closed position will counterbalance the tension of the spring 20, it will be appreciated that the spring 20 may be wound to a greatertension than is'required to merely counterbalance the weight of the door. Thus by using some automatic latching means at the lower end of the door to latch the same to the lambs against the tension of the springs when the door is closed, a release of the latching means will permit the door to open almost automatically. In either event, however, the bottom of the door is raised and pushed outwardly so that the rollers I! on thetop of the door will be lifted out of the track ment of the door causes the straps 28 and 32 to unwind from the tube l5 thereby permitting the tube to move downwardly and thus swinging, the

door to its closed position. a

From the foregoing it should be understood that this invention provides a much simpler construction of a vertically movable door as well as a more i cally slidable doors.

eifective door operating means for opening and closing the door. The structure of this invention can be readily installed thereby greatly reducing the time and labor heretofore necessary for installing overhead garage doors and the like verti- It should be understood also that the linear and rotatably movable spring actuated tube construction of this invention can be used to good advantage for balancing or actuating many types of unhinged doors. I

I am aware that many changes may be made and numerous details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and I, therefore, do not purpose limiting the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

- I claim as my invention:

1. The combination with a slidable door, of a motor attached to said door for relative linear and rotative' movement with respect thereto, means for confining said motor for movement in a predetermined path and means for storing up energy in said motor when said door is moved in onedirection for facilitating movement of the door in the other direction.

2. In a structure having a doorway, a' guideway adjacent said doorway, a slidable door for'closing said doorway, a motor mounted in said guideway, and a flexible connection between said motor and the lower portion of said door.

3. In a structure having a doorway, a guideway adjacent said doorway, a slidable door for closing said doorway, a motor mounted in said guideway, connections between'said motor and door windable on the motor for causing an operation of said motor and storing energy therein when said door is moved from an open to a closed position.

4. In a structure having a doorway, a slidable door for closing said doorway, a spring motor, a strap attached to said door and connected to said spring motor mounted for linear and rotative movement relative to the door, said strap adapted to be wound thereon and means forguiding said spring motor during the movements of said door.

5. In a "structure having a doorway, an upwardly movable door for closing said doorway, a spring motor, straps attaching said spring motor to said door and to said doorway for linear and rotary movements of the motor relative to the door anzlzguideways adjacent the sides of said doorway for 'g1;1iding the 'ends of said spring motor. 6, In a building having a door opening, a door for closingisaidopening and adapted to be moved upwardly, a spring motor extending transversely across the door, means for attaching said spring motor to said door for linear and rotary movement relative to the door and means on said building for guiding the ends of the spring motor.

7. In a building having a doorway, a door for closing said doorway and adapted to be moved to overhead position for opening said doorway, a spring motor, means for attaching said spring motor to said door ior relative linear and rotary movement with respect to the door, and means for causing said motor to rotate for storing up energy therein when said door is moving to its closed position.

8. In a building having a doorway, a door for closing said doorway, a guideway adjacent each side of the doorway, a cylinder extending transversely across the door and having its ends extending into said guideways, a flexible strap attached to said cylinder fastened to the lower portion of the door, a second flexible strap attached to said cylinder and fastened at the upper portion of a guideway, a coil spring in said cylinder having one end connected to the cylinder and means for anchoring the other end'of said spring against rotation.

9. In a building having a doorway, a door'for closing said doorway, said door being adapted to door, straps attached to said cylinder and fastened at the upper portion of the guideways, said straps allowing said cylinder-to rotate and move in a linear direction, a coil spring in said cylinder having one. end. connected to said cylinder and means for anchoring the other end of said spring against rotation on a guideway.

10 In a building having a doorway, a door for closing said doorway and adapted to be moved to overhead position for opening said doorway, a spring motor attached to said door for relative rotary and linear movement, guiding means adiacent said doorway for receiving the.ends of said spring motor, flexible straps secured at one end at the tops of the guideways and at the other ends thereof to the cylinder, additional flexible straps secured at one end to the bottom of the door and at the other ends to the cylinder, said straps adapted to wrap around the cylinder as the door is raised whereby the straps secured at the top of the guideways move the cylinder upward in the guideways and the straps secured to the bottom of the door move the bottom toward the cylinder.

11. In a building having a doorway, tracks extending substantially horizontally from the top of the doorway, vertical guideways secured on the sides of the doorway, a door for closing said doorway having rollers secured to the top thereof for movement on said tracks, a tube extending transversely across the'door having the ends thereof extending into the guideways, a flexible band secured at one end to the bottom portion of the door and at the other end to said tube, a second flexible band secured at one end near the top of the secured to the tube, a roller adapted to roll on the guideway at the other end of the tube, and

means carrying said roller secured to the free end.

of the 'spring, said spring adapted to be placed under tension in the tube for rotating the tube to 7B- wind straps therearound whereby the strap secured to the bottom portion of the door moves the bottom of the door toward the tube and the strap ;the bottom of the door, a tube extending transversely across said door having the ends thereof disposed in said guideways, a strap secured to' the bottom of the door at one end thereof and to the tube at the other end thereof, a second strap secured at the top of a guideway at one end thereof and to the cylinder at the other end thereof, a coiled spring encased in said tube, means for placing said spring under tension to rotate the tube and wind the straps therearound whereby the strap secured to the upper end of the doorway moves the tube toward the top of the doorway and the strap secured to the bottom of the door moves thebottom oi. the door toward the tube while the tube itself acts as a vertically moving pivot about which the door is swung.

13. Door operating mechanism for sliding doors adapted to be moved from a vertical closed position to a horizontal overhead open position comprising a tube extending transversely across the door midway between the top and bottom of the door when the door is in closed vertical position, flexible bands connecting the tube with the bottom of the door, additional flexible bands connecting the tube with the top of the doorway and means to rotate the tube for winding the bands therearound whereby the door is swung over the tube and the tube travels to the top of the doorway. a

14. Door operating mechanism for sliding doors adapted to be moved from a vertical closed position to a horizontal overhead open'positioncomprising a spring motor extending transversely across the door between the top and bottom of the door when the door is in closed vertical position, flexible means connecting the spring motor with the bottom portion 01' the door, additional flexible means connecting the spring motor with the top of the doorway in which the door mounted and stationary means guiding the ends of the spring motor in the doorway whereby a rotation of the spring motor winds the. flexible means therearound to move the bottom portion 5 of the door toward the spring motor and to move the spring motor toward the top of the doorway as the door is opened.

15. In a building having a doorway, a door for closing said doorway, a guideway adJacent each side of the doorway, a spring motor extending transversely across the door on the inside thereof and having its ends extending into said guideway,

flexible means windable on said spring motor secured to the lower portion ofthe door, and

additional flexible means windable on said spring motor secured to the upper portion oi. the doorway whereby a rotation of the spring motor winds the flexible means therearound to move the bottom portion of the door toward the spring motor tion to a horizontal overhead open position comprising means extending transversely across the door between the top and bottom oi! the door when the doords in closed vertical position, flexible means connecting the transverse means with the bottom portion of the door, additional flexible means connecting the transverse means with the top .of the doorway in which the door is mounted and stationary means guiding the ends of the transverse means in the doorway whereby rotation of the transverse means winds the flexg5 ible means therearound to move the bottom portion of the door toward the transverse means and to move the transverse means toward the top of the doorway as the door is opened.

17. In a building having a doorway, a door for 4 closing said doorway, a guideway adjacent each 7 side of the doorway, a tube extending transversely across the door on the inside thereof and having its ends extending into the guideway, flexible means windable on said tube'secured to the 5 lower portion of the door, additional flexible means windable onsaid tube secured to the top portion of the doorway and means for rotating the tube to wind the flexible means therearound for movingthe bottom portion of the door toward the tube and for moving the tube toward the top of the doorway as the door is opened.

. ANTHONY VENDI'I'I'Y. 

